Organic Skincare Company

The Victorian Garden Blog

It was a first for the South African skin and personal care industry when three years ago the exquisite Victorian Garden range of natural and organic products was awarded the international gold standard for non-animal tested consumer products – the Cruelty Free/Leaping Bunny certification. They’ve just received their 3rd certification in a row and they remain the only SA brand to enjoy accreditation.

In the course of my many years as a Beauty Therapist and the hundreds of facial treatments I’ve done for clients, I became well aware that women worry about the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and sagging of their face, but tend to forget about the fragile neck skin just below. Degraded collagen and a loss of elasticity make all your skin, not just your face, more prone to wrinkles, sagging, and discolouration as you age. In fact, the skin on the neck is even thinner than on the face, making it even more vulnerable to fine lines and sun damage so it is vital to use specialised products to nurture your neck!

It wasn’t too long ago that only serious skincare addicts regularly used a face mask. Now, though, more women are incorporating masks into their weekly routines and the numbers are astounding. According to research, sales of face masks soared 60% in the last year alone. Why?

Our commitment to our customers is to strive for continual improvement in our products, choosing ingredients that will give your skin the very best care that nature has to offer. This means that when we come across exciting new ingredients, we upgrade our formulas to bring you a superior product.

Product Focus: Hair Masques

Hair masques can be your saving grace when your hair is dry and damaged or if you’re trying to grow your hair long but healthy. In our quick-fix and fast-paced lives we expect an instant solution, but true results in hair care come from consistent routine and correct use of a product.

A hair masque differs to a conditioner in that it restores manageability from inside the hair shaft, whereas a conditioner cares for the outside. To penetrate the hair it therefore takes more time for a hair masque to do it’s job. This is especially true for natural masques which work in nature’s time, it takes as long as it needs to work!

Following on from England, France and India in our Around the World Aromatherapy series, we bring fragrances home to Africa in this post. Africa is renowned for some of the most sensual and fascinating aromas and these essential oil blends will evoke the warmth of Africa no matter where you are in the world!

There is something very charming about Indian essential oil blends, bought to the Western world through the spice traders. These wonderful blends depict exactly why they fetched such a high price back then, precious as they are to work wonders on the soul.

French fragrances are famously grand and it follows that the aromatherapy blends from this country are going to be gorgeous! In this second post from our Around the World Aromatherapy series, we’re going to share three of our favourite blends to add a touch of sophisticated glamour to your life.

Welcome to our exciting new Blog series, Around the World Aromatherapy, where we’re going to be focusing on one country at a time and looking into how they use natural oils for healing and enhancing joy.

Aromatherapy involves the artful blending of essential oils derived from plants, roots, barks, leaves, flowers and fruit to alleviate pain, calm the mind and body and bring about a feeling of happiness and health. These oils are used as a therapy through massage, compresses, bathing, cosmetics, perfumes and vapourisation. Egyptians are believed to have first started using essential oils as far back as the 12th Dynasty.

Fast-track your way to gleaming, younger-looking body skin with a fragrant scrub to buff away dull and dry-looking surface cells. Body scrubs promise smoother skin instantly but did you know the following benefits are also due to come your way when using this spa beauty product regularly? It pays to buff away!

It is an indisputable fact that perfume wearing is an indulgent pleasure, a dab of your favourite fragrance carries with it the promise of nostalgia, excitement, celebration or even romance. In the words of Green Goddesses Sarah Stacey and Josephine Fairley, “it makes you feel delicious!”

Historically, fragrances were derived from real plants and their distilled waters and essential oils, the Egyptians were making Lilly perfume from as early as 4th century BC! But in modern times (post 1882) synthetic ingredients started to creep into the industry and it was Chanel No 5 that really put these synthetics on the map. Nowadays, mainstream fragrances are almost entirely composed of synthetic notes derived in laboratories which mimic natural scents.

Seeing as we re-launched our ready-to-use face masques this month, it follows that we’re in “masque-mode” to shed some light on the subject in our Getting Back to Basics series. Taking time out to indulge in a soothing face masque (or face “pack” as called in the Victorian era) is one of life’s pleasures and is a fragrant treat for both your skin and mind.

Exfoliation is another skincare topic often debated, where some believe it is a crucial step to good looking skin, and others frowning on the harsh treatments which are said to do more damage than good to the skin.

At Victorian Garden, we believe the truth lies in 1) What you use and 2) How you use it.

Are you overwhelmed by skincare products and baffled by what to choose next, what will improve the condition of your skin, what will give you complexion perfection? We’re going to be running a series of blog posts dedicated to simplifying skincare choices and getting back to beauty basics. We will take you through how to rebalance your skin, maintain your new glow and how to protect it for the future.

Facial Oils are all about complexion perfection, despite what conventional wisdom may tell you about oils on the skin causing break-outs, clogging pores and leaving a slick of grease! Essential oils have been used for centuries to conquer skin conditions, they have a natural affinity for skin and contain a potent blend of antioxidants and vitamins essential for a healthy complexion. Due to their small molecular structure, these oils actually penetrate the skin quickly and absorb easily into the epidermal layers leaving a smooth and silky finish.

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All products have a two year shelf life, we recommend that our cream and lotion products, such as moisturisers, body butters and body lotions should preferably be used within three months of opening for best results.